


You Can’t Have One Without The Other

by wendymr



Category: Lewis (TV)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Mostly Dialogue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-12
Updated: 2015-01-12
Packaged: 2018-03-07 07:27:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3166508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wendymr/pseuds/wendymr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>“You could marry me now.”</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Can’t Have One Without The Other

**Author's Note:**

  * For [paperscribe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/paperscribe/gifts).



> Many happy returns, Paperscribe!
> 
> With grateful thanks to Divingforstones for the quick and helpful BR.
> 
> * * *

_29 March 2014_

James nods at Robbie’s telly, where the BBC is showing footage of the very first same-sex marriages in England, following legalisation at midnight. “You could marry me now.”

Robbie raises an eyebrow. “Aye, I could, yeah. An’ I’d want to do that because...”

James lifts one shoulder in a graceful shrug. “You can’t live without my witty repartee?”

“That what you’re calling it now? How about you can’t live without my sage and intelligent words of wisdom?”

“Imparted in your impeccable Geordie accent, of course. How could I survive, indeed?”

“There you go. Told you you’d miss me if you didn’t come back, last year.”

James’s eyes widen, and Robbie waits for the mockery. “I always miss you. Even if you’ve just gone to the loo.”

“Yeah, thanks. Not letting you come in there with me, even if we were married.”

“There are other good reasons, though. Such as: I couldn’t be forced to give evidence against you if you couldn’t take it any more and murdered Peterson.”

“I think, with all me years of experience, I could think of a way of killin’ someone that’d be completely undetectable.”

“Except by _me_ — after all, who knows your methods and thought process better? I’d be an _excellent_ witness for the prosecution — unless we were married.”

“So I should get married to you just in case I ever feel like murdering someone?”

James shrugs and takes a swig of beer. “I’ve heard worse reasons.”

“That’s certainly true. Sure you wouldn’t just be marrying me for me money? You’d get survivor’s benefits on me pension, after all.”

“Always assuming I outlive you.” James jabs his chest. “Smoker. Though, no, here’s a reason that’ll win you over. You’d be able to get me to make your breakfast every morning, instead of the odd occasion when I’ve stayed over in your spare room.”

“That’s an incentive, all right. An’, yeah, if we were married I could use you as a foot-warmer in bed.”

“Get cold feet, do you, sir?” James raises an eyebrow. Robbie’s well aware that there’s a dig in there, but he ignores it.

“Not sir. You’re not me sergeant any more. Inspector, as soon as your results come in.”

“Assuming I pass, of course.”

“If you get anything less than a distinction, Innocent’ll have an appeal in quicker than you can light a cigarette.”

James shrugs modestly. “It will be nice to get away from being an itinerant spare pair of hands.” Which is what James has been stuck doing ever since he came back from the stress leave Innocent persuaded him to take last autumn, instead of resigning. 

Robbie nods. “Might get to work with each other from time to time, once you’re heading your own team.” His new role, on a one-year contract with option to renew, is providing support, coaching and guidance on major investigations, particularly to teams with less experienced senior officers.

“Not if we were married, you couldn’t,” James says, with one of his typical smartarse grins. 

“S’pose not. That another reason in favour, for you? Y’don’t want to work with me again?”

“Well...” James seems to consider. “That could be the only disadvantage. For you, I mean. You’d have to manage without my ready supply of edifying and apposite quotations, always provided at exactly the right moment.”

Robbie gestures to his phone, lying on the coffee-table. “I’m sure there’s an app for that.”

James clasps his hands to his heart. “You’re saying I can be replaced by an _electronic tool_?”

“Highly intelligent electronic tool.” Robbie smirks. “But then you’d be able to show me how you measure up against it all the time we’re not at work, wouldn’t you?”

That earns him a blinding smile. “You’re getting the idea, Robbie. Well done!”

“Nah.” Robbie shakes his head. “Can’t see why you’re so keen to offer yourself up as a sacrifice, all the same. _Suffering and endurance — the bedrock of a happy marriage_ , isn’t that what you said a few years back?”

“It’s the Catholic in me. We’re all about paying penance.” James turns deceptively pious eyes on Robbie. “That’s the beauty of it. You wouldn’t be just for Lent.”

“You mean I can be a grumpy sod and make your life miserable all year round, an’ that’ll make you deliriously happy?” Robbie grins. “Sounds almost too good to resist. Almost, mind.”

“As long as you’re not dashing my hopes.” It’s said in a solemn tone that’s just itching to break out into mockery. Robbie manages to stifle a smile, and allows himself a grumpy sigh.

James takes a long drink of his beer, then tips his head back against the sofa. “I was actually expecting, last summer, that you’d be married again by now,” he says, voice soft, with just a hint of question that Robbie can choose to acknowledge or ignore, as he prefers.

“No,” he says after a decent pause. “Well, you know how things went. And why. Not right in the end, we weren’t.” But they’re still friends, him and Laura, and he enjoys the privilege of giving her his opinion on other prospective boyfriends — even if she hasn’t asked.

“Right,” James says. Single syllable, little more than an encouraging murmur, really. Making clear that if Robbie wants to say more...

Robbie tips his own head back against the sofa and turns towards James. “You’ve given me a lot of good reasons, right enough, canny lad.” Robbie looks at James, considering. “But there’s really only one reason I’d marry someone.”

“What’s that?”

Robbie reaches out and covers James’s hand with his own. “Because I love them.”

* * *

_29 October 2014_

Robbie flops down on the sofa in their new house with a sigh, and James folds his long body next to him. “Alone at last!”

“Yeah, because bein’ alone with me every other evening isn’t enough.” 

“Yeah, but it’s different now.” James tips his head onto Robbie’s shoulder, gazing up at him with an adoring expression — that’ll last until the second Robbie demands James get the next round.

“Berk.” He ruffles James’s hair. 

“Yes, but your berk now. Too late to disown me.” James strokes his fingers over the white-gold ring on Robbie’s left hand.

“Works both ways, canny lad. No kickin’ me out of bed for snoring.” Robbie smirks. “An’ I’ve just remembered — you’ll be makin’ breakfast every morning now. You promised. No goin’ back on it now.”

“Bugger.” But James smiles. “You know the best bit about today?”

“You mean aside from me promisin’ to love an’ honour you for the rest of me life?”

“Aside from that, yes.” Robbie waits. “We got to make _Innocent_ give a speech.”

* * *

**Author's Note:**

>  _Love and marriage, love and marriage_  
>  Go together like a horse and carriage   
> This I tell you, brother   
> You can't have one without the other  
> \- lyrics by Sammy Cahn, 1955.


End file.
